


I Spy

by swallowthewhale



Series: Killervibe Week [9]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Undercover Missions, spy AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 16:55:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14981483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swallowthewhale/pseuds/swallowthewhale
Summary: Caitlin never would have imagined that the mystery man in the apartment across from hers, who she always sees making coffee at 3 am through her own kitchen window, works in the same building as she does. Much less be assigned to the same mission as her.Killervibe Fanfic Week 2018: Undercover Missions





	I Spy

Caitlin leans on her kitchen counter with her coffee mug steaming into her face at 3 am on a Saturday, her face nearly pressed against the window to look up at the stars. Her apartment is on the top floor and affords a nice view of the sky over the roof of the neighboring apartment building. On a warmer night, Caitlin might go up on the roof to stargaze, but it’s chilly tonight and she's content to curl up on the couch in her nest of blankets and read the book she’s been putting off for months. Even when she’s on vacation, Caitlin can’t quite seem to break the habit of staying up all night, and since she has no family to visit during her two weeks off a year, or any friends outside the agency, she spends most of her time holed away in her apartment. 

She's just considering actually opening her book when a light flicks on in the apartment across from hers. Caitlin grins into her mug, waiting as the man who lives there - she calls him Cisco because of the Cisco Systems t-shirt he always wears - shuffles out in sweats and said t-shirt. He stands at the sink under his own window for a long moment, staring out. Caitlin hunches down, as if he can see her even though her lights are off. He startles suddenly, looking down and sighing as he visibly tips a glass of water that he over-filled. Cisco stands at the window, drinking his water, and looking out almost directly at Caitlin's window. Feeling silly and a little flustered, Caitlin creeps out of the room, runs a hand through her disheveled hair and flips on her own light.

She can't see it, standing at the entrance to the kitchen, but across the alley, Cisco straightens, grinning, and waits for Caitlin to reappear in the window. He waves, and Caitlin waves back, smiling. She pretends to busy herself at the counter for a moment, waves again, and turns to turn the light off again. It’s absolutely ridiculous, she tells herself, that she waits up every night for the stranger - albeit cute stranger - across the street to come to his kitchen window when she’s on vacation and should be doing literally anything else than pretending that they still accidentally show up in their kitchens to make coffee at the same time every night. It’s not like she’ll never see him again. She’s going back to work tomorrow, after all, and then she actually will be making coffee at 3 am instead of pretending to so that she can see Cisco for five seconds.

The thing is, that when Caitlin goes to work the next day, she doesn’t expect to literally run into Cisco leaving the elevators on her floor. He reels back in surprise, wincing and rubbing his forehead where it slammed into hers. Caitlin catches herself against the wall, heart thrumming against her ribcage. She almost says not-really-his-name out loud, but catches herself at the last second. She also almost apologizes, but refuses to out of principle, since common courtesy demands that people disembark the elevator before anyone embarks.

Cisco does a double take, his mouth opens and closes dumbly before he swallows hard. “I’m so sorry. I was completely lost in thought, in another dimension. I should have been paying attention.” He tucks his hair behind his ears sheepishly. “It’s not usually too busy at this hour.”

“Yes,” Caitlin says faintly, and blushes. "It's alright," she corrects herself. "I wasn't paying much attention either.”

Cisco cocks his head and Caitlin watches him, contemplating how much prettier his eyes are up close, and simultaneously cursing the universe for this ridiculous of a coincidence.

"Snow, Ramon," a voice snaps, and they both jump. Director Wells strides past, beckoning them as he goes. 

Cisco - Ramon, Caitlin corrects herself - shrugs and gestures for her to go first, which Caitlin does, hurrying to catch up to Wells. Wells closes his office door behind him and ruffles through the papers on his desk before handing Caitlin and Ramon a folder each.

“You've got an assignment,” he says gruffly.

“I don’t go in the field," Caitlin says automatically, at the exact same time as Cisco says the same thing. Caitlin has moved on already, extending the folder back to Wells. “I’ve already got an assignment.”

Wells makes no move to take it. “Technically it’s the same assignment,” he says dryly. “Your contact wants to meet at a party this weekend to make a drop. We’ve been waiting for you to get back to set this up.”

Caitlin frowns, rifling through the pages. “Why didn’t you just call me in?”

Wells pins her with a look that says she knows exactly why. If Caitlin were left to her own devices, all of her vacation time would go unused. Wells and West have to literally force her to take the time off.

She nearly rolls her eyes, but instead sneaks a look at Ramon. He’s reading the first page in the folder with a furrow between his brows. 

“And why am I the one doing this?” he asks slowly. “Wouldn’t Barry be better?”

“Allen has other assignments," Wells says smoothly. “Besides, we need a hacker and you’re the best.”

Ramon’s mouth twitches like he agrees but is too modest to do so out loud. Personally, Caitlin can’t help but think that a hacker she's never heard of can't possibly be the best. Everyone knows that Felicity Smoak is the best hacker in the agency, even if she’s completely incapable of going in the field.

“It’s in-and-out,” Wells says, interrupting Caitlin’s thoughts. “Easy. Go see Jesse for your tech and West for more details.”

That’s as clear a dismissal as any, and Ramon wastes no time in leaving. Caitlin trails behind, chewing her lip and wondering if Ramon has any idea that she’s the girl in the window across the street that he sees every morning. And if he doesn't, should she tell him?

It turns out that Wells is right. It is an easy in-and-out mission. Caitlin and Ramon make a few sweeps around the dance floor, Caitlin just an inch taller than him in her heels, the little device in Ramon’s pocket checking for bugs. Then they make an excuse to wander down the hallway, pick their way through the high tech locks on the study door and the safe inside, copy the data off the hard drive, pick up the drop from Caitlin’s contact, and still have time to sip a glass of champagne by the open French doors leading into the gardens before their ride arrives.

“So,” Caitlin says awkwardly, a little desperate to make conversation even though they had been able to chat easily as their undercover identities all evening. “Why don’t you like to go in the field?”

She can see Ramon’s face close off a little before he relaxes. “I just don’t like it much,” he says shrugging. “I’m much more comfortable behind a computer or making gadgets in the workshop.”

“You work in tech?” Caitlin asks curiously. The only person she's ever met from tech is Jesse Wells, who’s in charge of distributing and keeping track of all the agency’s tech.

“Behind the scenes, inventing stuff and all that," Ramon says. "I've only been stuck in the field once before and it was not enjoyable at all.”

Caitlin doesn’t ask, but he continues anyway.

“I was sent out with Eobard Thawne,” Ramon says darkly, and Caitlin shudders. “Asshole nearly got me killed.”

“Wait,” Caitlin says. “That was you? Allen saved you right? They redid all the agency's policies because of that incident.”

“That was me," Ramon says dryly, raising his glass to tap against hers. “What about you? Why don’t you go in the field?”

Caitlin looks away, up to the sky full of stars. “Ronnie,” she whispers, and just by Ramon's inhale, she knows he’s heard.

“You're Caitlin," Ramon breathes. “ _That_ Caitlin.”

Caitlin presses her hand to her warm cheek. It’s dry. “It was our last mission together before we were going to announce our engagement.” Her breath hitches. “It’s my fault he died.”

Ramon catches her hand, face deadly serious. “It was not your fault. I read the debrief. There was nothing you could have done.” His mouth twists into a wry smile. "Hell if I knew anyone who could get Ronnie to change his mind.”

Caitlin sniffs, clutching Ramon’s hand. “You knew him?”

“I did,”Ramon sighs. "We did our training together. He was a great guy. I’m really sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Caitlin says quietly. “Um, I think our ride is here.” She’d been ignoring the insistent buzzing against her hip for the past couple minutes.

Ramon squeezes her hand on last time and lets go. "Shall we?” he asks, offering his arm and a cocked eyebrow.

Caitlin takes her time changing out of the fancy party clothes and filling out her mission debrief before heading downstairs. To her surprise, Ramon is leaning against the wall just outside the door. She hesitates, then clears her throat. Ramon looks over with an exhausted smile.

“Can I give you a ride?” Caitlin asks before she can lose her nerve.

"Sure," Ramon says after a moment of consideration. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Caitlin says and proceeds to drive in a sort of comfortable silence. She doesn't ask for his address and he doesn't offer it.

When they finally pull into Caitlin’s parking spot, Ramon says casually, “I guess it kind of ruins the aesthetic if we see each other having coffee every morning and then go to the same place for work.”

Caitlin blinks at him, startled that he’s bringing it up so nonchalantly. "I thought you didn’t recognize me,” she blurts out.

Just the tips of Ramon’s ears turn red. “Definitely not,” he says. “I didn’t want to freak you out, though.”

“After having Zoloman around, that bar has gone up considerably higher.” They both shudder. Caitlin chews on her lip, and they both say at the same time, “Would you like coffee?”

Ramon grins slowly and Caitlin flushes red. “You did drive me home, I feel like I owe you at least a coffee.”

“Only,” Caitlin says, “if you tell me your name. I never caught it.”

He sheepishly tucks his hands in his jacket pocket. “That’s intentional. Francisco Ramon. But please, please call me Cisco.”

Caitlin stares at him in shock. What could possibly be the odds? But then she smiles cheekily and loops her arm through his. “Lead on, Cisco.” 


End file.
